Electrically heated agitator



Nov. 10, -l 936 J. CIMEEK 2,060,378

ELECTRICALLY HEATED AGITATOR Filed Meiy 2, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l cfo7vn 0. 114067) INVENTOR ATTORNEY Nov. 10, 1936. J. c. MEEIK ELECTRICALLY HEATED AGII'ATOR Filed May 2, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2" ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 10, 1936 j UNITED STATES "PATENT QFFlCE 2,060,378 ELECTRICALLY HEATED aorra'roa John O. Meek, Portage, Pa. Application May 2, ezasermi No. 77,605 3 Claims. lei. 219-38) to he hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

15 For a complete understanding of my invention,

reference is lead to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a vertical sectional view illustrating an electrically heated agitator adapted to a washg9 ing machine and constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line I 2-52 of Figure l.

l igure fl is a sectional view taken on the line ll-i'l l,

.Eigure l is a sectional view taken on the l-- l cl. Zi lgure l.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, illustrating the propeller shaft for the i go agitator.

in detail to the drawings, the numeral 9 indicates a container of a washing machine supported by less 2 and has termed centrally of bottom wall a sleeve 3 which opens outwardly 35 through the bottom of the container and town sates a short distance below the upper edge oi the container. deemed to the bottom oi the container l is a bracket it lorming a journal tor a propeller shaft 6. The shaft E5 extends unwardly so through sleeve 3 and the lower euclis tent to form goose neck a lying within a casing supported lay the bracket B. The propeller shalt is rotatably supported by the bracket l and bushings; located in the sleeve 3. The propeller shaft 5 is adapted to be oscillated or rotated by any suitable power means shown generally at 9. The upper end of the shaft 5 is equipped with angularly related faces II to lit in a correspondingly shaped opening of a'block l I forming a part to of an agitator which will be hereinafter more fully described. The shaft t is of hollow tormation and has extending therethrough conductors i2 suitably insulated fron'i' each other and from the propeller shaft. The conductors project be- 55 yond each end of the shaft. The conductors at one end ride'upon annular contacts I! secured to an insulated support ll forming a part of the casing I. An annular track i5 is also carried by the support it and is engaged by a guide element It mounted on the goose neck end of the pro- 5 1981181 shaft. Conductors ll are electrically connected to the contacts l3 and tea control switch it forming a part of an electric circuit (not shown)" The other ends of the conductors II or the ends oi said conductors which project lien.

yond'the upper end of the propeller shaft engage conductors [it carried oy the agitator.

The agitator includes an annular body 20 of sectional lormatiou threaded together, as shown at ill, and of hollow formation. The sections of w the body 2% are offset to form blades 22 for the agitator. @ne of the sections of the body is formed integrally with an outer sleeve ill while the other section is suitably secured to an inner sleeve 2 Title lunar sleeve has the casing lolccls: w secured. thereto "The conductors l extend he hollow body Ell by passing through the tom said outer sleeve, inc upper end 535 sleeve 23 terminates in a reduced tied uecl to which to threaded a can do; lower and outer sleeves Ed and surround the sleeve oil the container 3 and-c1 tattle lemmings ill provided between the inner sleeve eve 3 so that the agitator may oscillate freely upon the sleeve i l and it is arranged in gitatcr and has mounted es heating coils lltl electrically to the conductors Thus it will be t electrical current may flow to the heat-- to the switch ill is closed during 4m scill u or the agitator. the heat cast oil coils heats the heady 20 and the seats the contents of the container 6, maintaining the liquid at a dcslretl temucratiufe. v

While this invention has been described and shown as adopted to a washing machine, it is to be understood that it may lee successfully emrotatiou o played in other devices wherein it is desired to agitate a liquid and maintain the liquid at a so desired temperature.

A counter balance weight 30 may be suitably secured in certain of the offsets 22 of the body 2| for balancing the agitator. I

Having described the invention, I claim: 55

1. In combination with a container having a sleeve opening outwardly through the bottom thereof, a journal carried by the container, a propeller shaft rotatably supported by the Journal and extending through the sleeve and having one end bent to form a goose neck, a casing carried by said journal and having the goose neck confined therein, an agitator Journaled on the sleeve and secured to the shaft, an electrical heating element mounted in the agitator, conductors extending through the shaft and insulated therefrom, means connecting the conductors to the heating element, annular contacts mounted in said casing and engaged by the conductors, and an electrical switch electrically connected to said contacts and adapted to be electrically connected to an electrical output.

2. In combination with a container having a sleeve opening outwardly through the bottom thereof, a Journal carried by the container, a propeller shaft rotatably supported by the Journal and extending through the sleeve and having one end bent to form a goose neck, a casing carried by said journal and having the goose neck confined therein, an agitator Journaled on the sleeve and secured to the shaft, an electrical heating element mounted in the agitator, conductors extending through the shaft and insulated therefrom, means connecting the cor-ductors to the heating element, annular contacts mounted in said casing and engaged by the conductors, an electrical switch electrically connected to said contacts and adapted to be electrically connected to an electrical output, a track located in said casing, means carried by said goose neck to ride the track.

- 3. In combination with a container having a sleeve opening outwardly through the bottom thereof, a propeller shaft extending through said sleeve, means for rotatably supporting the propeller shaft, electrical feed means extending through the propeller shaft, an annular body located in the container and including spaced sleeves, one of said sleeves iournaled on the firstnamed sleeve, said body having offset portions to form blades, an electrical heating element mounted in said body, electrical conductors connected to said electrical heating element and extending between the secondnamed sleeves and contacting the electrical feed means carried by the shaft, and means connecting one of the second-named sleeves to the shaft.

JOHN C. MEEK. 

